Summary
Summary Mayor of Casterbridge Notes
- Course
- Institution
- Book
Chapter by chapter analysis with notes on setting and characters
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
"The Mayor of Casterbridge" Literature Analysis Review
Seller
Follow
elodiecommissaris
Content preview
The Mayor of CasterbridgeBy Thomas Hardy
Chapter 1
- Chapter of unpleasant events: barren land, unemployment, dust
- Unhealthy marital relationship —> "atmosphere of stale familiarity"
- Michael is not satis ed w/1 or 2 bowls of spiked furmity and he becomes boisterous
from the effects
- Susan realizes that women were completely dependent upon their husbands ∴ leaves
w/sailor
- Michael connects horse auction to selling his wife —> sees women as property
- Susan is used to Michael’s poor treatment of her but crosses a line this time
- Sailor quali es his “purchase” of Susan by asking for her agreement, demonstrating he
cares more about her free will + happiness than husband does
- Susan throwing away wedding ring re ects the end of her marriage
- Sharp contrast between the emotional events in the tent and the serene natural world
outside
- Michael perceives the child as HIS, not hers or theirs
Chapter 2
- Wedding ring + money = physical reminders of last night’s events
- Michael shows pride + determination
- Pride = unwilling to reveal the shame he has brought on himself + relieved he didn’t
say his name at the fair (shows understanding that he did something wrong)
- Michael worried more about how others will see him than feeling guilty
- Blames Susan for her choice as it puts him in a bad light
- Michael’s dedicated search for his wife and child re ect a commitment + sense of duty
to his family
- HOWEVER, his search is hampered by his unwillingness to tell the full story ∴ he
places his own reputation above familial duty
Chapter 3
- Same setting, different time
- Mother-daughter bond as they hold hands
- Sadness over death of sailor proves his kindness
- The reduction of animal auctions at the fair may re ect the changing roles of women
- Susan concealing the truth from daughter re ects the still-painful nature of the situation
- Susan searches for her husband —> reader curious as to why she needs to nd him
otherwise she would never see him again
THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE THOMAS HARDY
, - "Don't speak to her — it isn't respectable!” —> Elizabeth-Jane is excessively concerned
about propriety
- Furmity woman’s downfall contrasts Michael’s rise to success
- Henchard’s message to the furmity-woman re ects some faith that he might one day be
reunited with Susan, or that Susan might seek him out
Chapter 4
- Susan seeks Michael for daughter’s bene t
- Richard’s death relieved Susan from responsibility/duty
- Hardy heightens suspense by mentioning Henchard's name w/o the disclosure of
details —> foreshadows his prominence + importance
- Susan likes to keep things secret + discrete ie: her dealings with Henchard
- Extensive description of town —> Hardy’s use of concrete detail is a constant feature of
realism
Chapter 5
- Susan doesn't know Michael as kind + forgiving ∴ is intimidated by his power
- "He overpowers me!”
- Reader fears what will happen in 2 years when Michael’s oath expires
- Bread problem needing to be xed re ects broken marriage needing to be restored
- differences in wealth and class —> lower class stand outside looking in at mayor
- Elizabeth-Jane nds Michael more appealing than Susan does
- Michael’s face darkening w/temper shows that he has not lost all of his natural passion
- Michael claims to be seeking manager reveals his tendency to blame others, or the
absence of others, when something goes wrong
Chapter 6
- Beginning of complex plot —> previous chapters = background/context
- Chapter includes many chance happenings
- Traveller (Farfrae) can’t dress Mayor directly because he is lower class + new to town
- Traveller = kind + pleasant + jovial + fortune-seeker + ambitious
- Elizabeth = observant of ongoings (eg: traveller’s note)
- Elizabeth takes on more of a motherly role than Susan (role reversal) —> takes charge of
situation because mother is overcome by Henchard’s presence + position
- Henchard adjusts appearance before going into inn —> wealth in Casterbridge is
assessed by clothes/appearance/house and judge characters accordingly
- Long description of The Three Mariners shows Hardy’s fascination in native Wessex
Chapter 7
- Susan = intimidated by inn + Henchard ∴ feels they don’t t in vs. Elizabeth does
whatever it takes to be “respectable”
- Elizabeth waiting on Scotsman shows her curiosity about him + laces himself inferior to
him
THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE THOMAS HARDY
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller elodiecommissaris. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.76. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75323 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now